Today I’d like to talk about a type of violin practice that has been very helpful for me.

When I was growing up, I heard from all of my teachers, like I’m sure we all have many many times, that practicing slowly is incredibly important.

Being a diligent student, I spent hours, weeks, months, even years practicing slowly but I always felt there was a slight disconnect between my slow practice, in the practice room and my ultimate performance on stage.

Despite all the slow practice I did, I often felt my performances on stage felt a little hectic – like it was all a big mess to me.

Over time I came to realise that when I perform I try to be as communicative and expressive as possible with my body response, and that when I’m performing a part that is full of tension, my body gets tense, and when I’m playing a part that is filled with vulnerability my breathing changes, and when I’m playing a part that is filled with anticipation or excitement my heart rate speeds up – but in the practice room none of these things were happening as I wasn’t playing with the same emotional commitment and intensity as I was on stage.

After much thought, I made the conscious decision to use my practice time to recreate the performance intensity – just slowed down.

In my practice room, I began to imagine that while I was practicing slowly there was an audience member next to me and that even at the slower tempo, I needed to show them the character of each phrase.

Whilst practicing very virtuosic, joyful passages slowly I would still try and have the same joy and excitement I wanted on stage – as with very tense passages I would try and conjur the same sense of foreboding, emotional unrest.

Slowly I began to feel there was now a clear connection between how it felt to practice slowly in the practice room and how it felt to play on stage.

Not only did this technique improve my performances it also made practicing far more interesting – as now I was no longer on emotional auto pilot.

I felt it also made me a better musician, as we all know we get better at the things we repeat over and over again – and the same is certainly true for being a communicative performer.

I can honestly say, being as involved musically as possible, while practicing slowly has made a lot of difference for me.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 17 | We’re coming to you from the Curtis Institute of Music, in Philadelphia, this afternoon for a masterclass with Orion String Quartet cellist Timothy Eddy | Presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Timothy today working through the details of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Curtis Institute student, Oliver Herbert - Cellist

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City this afternoon for a masterclass with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Concertmaster, Vesko Eschkenazy | Working through the details today of the 1st movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major - with Manhattan School student, violinist Ahra Cho

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City this afternoon for a masterclass with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Concertmaster, Vesko Eschkenazy | Working through the details today of the 1st movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major - with Manhattan School student, violinist Ahra Cho

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Colburn School in Los Angeles this afternoon for a special performance and student Q&A session with the VC Artist Dover Quartet

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Colburn School in Los Angeles this afternoon for a special performance and student Q&A session with the VC Artist Dover Quartet

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

HELSINK, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a masterclass with Stockholm University School of Music Professor, Ola Karlsson on the great orchestral cello solos

HELSINK, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a masterclass with Stockholm University School of Music Professor, Ola Karlsson on the great orchestral cello solos

BLONAY, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming from the ‘Triple Viola Masterclasses’ at the Hindemith-Institut in Blonay, Switzerland this week | High in the Swiss alps and overlooking lake Geneva, this week’s intensive solo viola repertoire sessions led by viola Professors Nobuko Imai, Peijun Xu and Veit Benedikt Hertenstein

BLONAY, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming from the ‘Triple Viola Masterclasses’ at the Hindemith-Institut in Blonay, Switzerland this week | High in the Swiss alps and overlooking lake Geneva, this week’s intensive solo viola repertoire sessions led by viola Professors Nobuko Imai, Peijun Xu and Veit Benedikt Hertenstein

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a student masterclass with acclaimed French cello baroque specialist Bruno Cocset

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Cellists Jian Wang, VC Young Artist Jonathan Roozeman - Cellist and Alexander Warenberg and pianist Mikael Kemppainen hard at work on the details of David Popper’s ‘Requiem’ for 3 Cellos and Piano

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring 17-year-old American cellist Sujari Britt performing Bach’s 1st Solo Cello Suite

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite by VC Young Artist Aurélien Pascal

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a student masterclass with acclaimed French cello baroque specialist Bruno Cocset

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 4th Cello Suite by 18-year-old Italian cellist Luca Giovannini

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite by VC Young Artist Aurélien Pascal

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 4th Cello Suite by 18-year-old Italian cellist Luca Giovannini

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10 | We’re coming to you from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles today for the 2019 61st Annual Classical Music Grammy Awards Ceremony | The 2019 Grammy for the ‘Best Orchestral Performance’ awarded to conductor Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra Orchestra for their recording of ‘Shostakovich Symphonies No 4 & 11’ on the Deutsche Grammophon label

VC BACKSTAGE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | The Bam Cases team on-hand this week to assist with all instrument case enquiries

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association(TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | The Thomastik-Infeld team on-hand this week to assist with all string enquiries

LONDON, U.K. - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10 | We’re coming to you from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles today for the 2019 61st Annual Classical Music Grammy Awards Ceremony | VC Artists Ariana and Ayane from the Aizuri Quartet nervously awaiting the announcements | The VC Artist Aizuri Quartet are today nominated for the ‘Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance’ Grammy for their newly-released album ‘Blueprinting’ | Good luck girls!!

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 7 | Backstage at David Geffen Hall in New York City with VC Artist Bomsori Kim 김봄소리 and her entire #TeamBomsori management team from Liu Kotow International Management & Promotion and Kirshbaum Associates - following her successful debut performance with the New York Philharmonic this evening | Tonight’s ‘Lunar New Year’ celebration, led by conductor Kahchun Wong, featuring Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival Overture’, the US Premiere of acclaimed Chinese composer Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto ‘Fire Ritual’ - and Stravinsky’s ‘Fire Bird Suite

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 7 | Backstage at David Geffen Hall in New York City with VC Artist Bomsori Kim 김봄소리 and her entire #TeamBomsori management team from Liu Kotow International Management & Promotion and Kirshbaum Associates - following her successful debut performance with the New York Philharmonic this evening | Tonight’s ‘Lunar New Year’ celebration, led by conductor Kahchun Wong, featuring Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival Overture’, the US Premiere of acclaimed Chinese composer Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto ‘Fire Ritual’ - and Stravinsky’s ‘Fire Bird Suite

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 3 | We’re at Carnegie Hall in New York City this afternoon with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman, Maestro Yoel Levi and the Israel Philharmonic - התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית | Presented by the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, today’s program featuring Pártos’ ‘Concertino for Strings’, Beethoven’s G Major and F Major ‘Romances’, Kreisler’s ‘Liebesleid’ and John Williams’ ‘Theme from Schindler’s List - plus Tchaikovsky’s majestic 6th Symphony

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 30 | Prodigious performance today at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City by 18-year-old South Korean VC Young Artist Violinist SooBeen Lee with pianist Dina Vainshtein | Presented by the Young Concert Artists, today’s program featuring Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Bartok’s ‘Rhapsody’ No. 1 and Saint-Saens Violin Sonata in D Minor (Pictured with Young Concert Artists Founder, Susan Wadsworth)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China